User:Theprudentwarrior

I've often heard it said that the best way to win a fight is to not be in one in the first place. Likewise, the best way to defend yourself is through crime prevention. Crime prevention hinges on knowing yourself and your environment and responding appropriately to changes in either. Failure to heed changes in your personal environment can have serious consequences. This can be particularly true when it comes to preventing crime and maintaining a safe, secure environment. For purposes of this story the word environment refers to our personal world or sphere of involvement and the things that can occur whether negative or positive to affect that world. Our home, it's interior specifically represents the primary environment. This is, as a rule where we tend to feel safest. Areas outside our home whether it be our yard, neighborhood or the local community at large represents our secondary environment. Through familiarity we are comfortable here yet cautious as we are exposed to greater risk. Areas not as familar to us represent the third or tertiary environment. Here we've moved beyond our home, neighborhood, city, state or even country. Unless we've planned in advance we are totally exposed with no support network or knowledge of what to expect. In considering this concept think about how we respond when there are gross changes in the natural environment. When we are warned of impending storms, hurricanes, tornados, floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters we immediately began taking precautions aimed at keeping us safe and secure. I've always had an interest in helping others as well as issues relating to crime prevention, safety and security. Recently, I launched a self-defense products website aptly named "The Prudent Warrior." The dictionary defines prudent as exercising good judgement or common sense. No one ingredient could be more important when deciding how to protect yourself, your family or your property. It is located at http://www.theprudentwarrior.com. In launching the site I was reminded of the times in my own life when chance more so than prudent observation, planning and action prevented what could have turned out to be a serious situation. It also made me think of when I realized that something in my own personal environment had changed and what I'd need to do in order to adapt in the interest of remaining safe. I grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to Fort Bragg and the 82nd Airborne Division. My dad was a military serviceman and my mom a homemaker. In 1969 my dad moved us from a small apartment in a less than desirable part of town to a new home in a newly developed subdivision. It provided the safe, secure environment most people seek when choosing a place to live. We kids had a great time growing up there. Residential use of home protection systems was, for the most part unheard of. Neighbors knew and looked out for one another. There were times we'd gone to bed leaving doors unlocked or windows open yet awaken safe and sound with nothing visibly disturbed however, time would change that. After graduating high school I enlisted in the U.S. military and served for approximately eight (8) years. Upon my discharge I returned to Fayetteville with a new wife. We live in my parent's home until I was able to secure stable employment. In the meantime my wife became pregnant with our first child. A house had become available just around the corner from my parent's home. It had belonged to one of my former classmates. We were able to purchase the home and set about raising our family. I was elated as this neighborhood had afforded me a safe and memorable childhood and I hoped it would be the same for my own children. At first things were relatively quiet as we settled into our new home then a funny happened. One day, while working in my front yard I heard the sound of screeching tires and wailing sirens. They sounded quite close so I instructed my daughter who'd been outside playing to go inside. Concerned about what might be happening I followed a short time afterwards. A moment later a man appeared at our front door and began shaking the handle in a desperate attempt to enter. As I started for the door he took off. I opened the door and looked to lmy right to see the man sprinting down the street towards a large field near a wooded area. Looking to my left I saw a number of police officers in hot pursuit. a short time later officers caught the man, holding him at gunpoint until he was secured. As they took the man away I stood in my doorway somewhat stunned at what had just happened. I'd always heard about such things happening in other places but here it was unfolding in front of me, in my world, my environment. An environment wherein for so many years we'd been used to leaving doors and windows unlocked. Thank goodness I'd locked the door behind me on this particular day. As many would I hoped this was only an isolated incident however, time would prove otherwise. I still live in the same home. My children are grown now and since that time there have been other instances of police quelling disturbances or pursuing suspects throughout the neighborhood. The positive side to this is now I'm vigilant in recognizing and responding to changes in an environment whether at home or away. The Prudent Warrior